Jin Chao quickly learned that her father had not taken back the silver, and she also heard that Daoist Master Qingxu had prepared a box of longevity elixirs for Gu Jin Rong.

Jin Chao immediately went to find Gu Jin Rong, who had just returned from the Yu family clan school and was examining the elixir. Seeing Jin Chao approach, he hurried to greet her, looking at her carefully for a long time: “…I haven’t seen Elder Sister for half a month!”

He held Jin Chao’s hand tightly and wouldn’t let go, telling her many things. How the brothers of the Yu family were doing, what happened with the teaching master, and what punishment he had received. He was now more spirited than before, his eyebrows dancing with excitement when he spoke of happy things.

Jin Chao smiled along with him and took the elixir from his hand to examine it.

Gu Jin Rong said: “…Father’s steward delivered it, saying to take one pill every other day.” He also asked curiously, “Elder Sister, people say that Daoist Master Qingxu’s elixirs can extend life—is that true… I’ve never seen anyone who ate his elixirs not grow old. I heard that Pengzu lived for eight hundred years—did he also take longevity elixirs, which is why he lived for eight hundred years?”

Jin Chao didn’t know if Pengzu lived for eight hundred years.

She picked up these fingernail-sized elixirs and looked at them, then said to Gu Jin Rong: “Listen to Elder Sister, it’s best not to eat these. But don’t tell anyone either. Quietly bury them one by one in the courtyard, understand?”

Although Gu Jin Rong was somewhat puzzled, he now understood that his elder sister would never harm him. So he smiled and said: “Alright, I’ll listen to Elder Sister!”

Jin Chao sighed in relief. Seeing Gu Jin Rong’s tall figure crouching before her like a child, she patted his shoulder and smiled, saying: “Rong’er has grown taller again. I see your robe seems a bit short. Your grandmother sent you several pieces of plain satin. Let me cut a few garments for you. I’ll just embroider some patterns on the collar—how about bamboo leaf designs?”

Whatever Jin Chao suggested now, he thought was good. Gu Jin Rong was very happy to hear that his elder sister would make clothes for him: “The last time I had clothes made was more than a year ago. Mother personally selected the fabric and sewed the edges…”

Ji Shi followed the principle of raising daughters richly and sons frugally. Seeing that Gu Dezhao was accustomed to living in an aristocratic family and spent money without much restraint, she taught Gu Jin Rong to be very thrifty. It was the same in the Ji family; none of his male cousins were extravagant. This aspect of Gu Jin Rong had been well taught by Ji Shi—he never spent money recklessly and would not ask for things he liked unless the elders gave them to him.

As Gu Jin Rong spoke, his expression darkened, but he soon smiled again: “I haven’t told Elder Sister one thing yet!”

He spoke about Gu Lan, “…When I was studying at the Yu family, the second young master of the Mu family from Yuyi Alley often came over. He told me that Madam Mu had arranged for several matchmakers, but when they heard it was for the Mu family’s eldest son, the match fell through. Then they thought of Gu Lan, saying they didn’t mind the mourning period—they could settle the engagement first, and after the mourning period ended, they would come to marry her. They might come soon…”

Gu Jin Rong snorted: “Elder Sister, just let her marry Mu Zhidai! I heard that Mu Zhidai is ugly and fat. If Gu Lan marries him, she definitely won’t have a good life.”

Mu Zhidai was almost nineteen now, which was considered too late for a man to marry. The fact that he was willing to wait a year for Gu Lan proved that he was truly desperate. A thought flashed through Jin Chao’s mind—others might think marrying into the Mu family would harm Gu Lan, but she didn’t see it that way.

Come to think of it, Gu Lan’s marriage in this life would not be easy to arrange. In her previous life, Gu Lan was a legitimate daughter who married a General who Assisted the State. In this life, with Concubine Song in such a state, Gu Lan’s reputation suffered, and how she would marry would depend on herself. If she insisted on marrying into a noble family, it wouldn’t be so simple!

Jin Chao smiled: “Don’t rush; let’s wait and see about this matter.”

She returned to Qingtong Court and began handling the transfer of shops. She also called Luo Yongping over to discuss matters. They clarified which shops had more surplus and which were losing money, then arranged to lease them out. This way, there was less work to do, yet the income increased somewhat.

While organizing letters from various places, Jin Chao unexpectedly discovered that more than ten estate managers had sent her letters, detailing harvests from various years and tenant rents. Luo Yongping smiled and said to her: “The news of you driving away Zhao Ming has spread everywhere, and everyone feels it served him right! These estate managers no longer dare to underestimate you, which is probably why they’ve submitted these reports.”

Jin Chao was somewhat curious: “Did you all know about Zhao Ming’s situation? Why didn’t anyone say anything?”

Luo Yongping said: “He was notorious for taking money without doing work, but the former lady indulged him, so the estate managers were all dissatisfied. It’s not that no one spoke up, but speaking up was useless. When the Young Miss punished him, everyone was happy! But Young Miss, estate matters are generally like this—regardless of how much, the estate managers secretly always take a cut.”

One person can drag down everyone’s enthusiasm. Jin Chao thought about this for a long time.

Compared to shops with clear accounts and records of purchases and sales, it was very easy for estate managers to embezzle. The harvest depended entirely on the estate manager’s word, and unless the owner personally went to check, it wasn’t obvious what was more or less. She had only discovered Zhao the estate manager, but other estate managers weren’t necessarily clean-handed.

She said to Luo Yongping: “Shop managers always need to maintain appearances, and their official wages are higher. Those estate managers secretly take things only for this reason. Why not bring it out into the open? I’ll set a minimum harvest, and if the estate manager’s harvest exceeds this each year, one-tenth of the excess will be given to the estate manager. This way, they’ll be more enthusiastic about managing crops and farming.”

Luo Yongping’s eyes lit up when he heard this—it was indeed a good idea!

The estate managers had all thought of this idea before, but the owners of the estates were unwilling to allocate any of the harvests. What they didn’t know was that without a clear allocation, the estate managers would secretly take even more, while the harvest wouldn’t increase.

Luo Yongping respectfully clasped his hands and said: “The Young Miss has a good idea! This servant will instruct them to do so right away.”

Jin Chao smiled—it wasn’t her good idea at all. This was her grandmother’s method for managing shops far from Yanjing; she was just borrowing it to use on the estates.

After Luo Yongping left, Xu Mama saw him out.

Jin Chao had just taken a sip of tea when Mama Tong hurriedly came over.

“Young Miss, many soldiers have broken into the house…”

Jin Chao was shocked and quickly asked Mama Tong what had happened. Mama Tong explained that after Jin Chao’s return, the Daoist master said the house recently had heavy resentful spirits again, so he wanted to hold a Daoist ceremony to exorcise them. Gu Dezhao didn’t say anything about it. Unexpectedly, halfway through the ceremony, soldiers broke into the Gu household, saying they had come to arrest Daoist Master Qingxu. The Daoist master had hidden in the back servants’ quarters, and the master was now holding off the soldiers’ search.

Hearing this, Jin Chao laughed coldly: “Is he suggesting that I’m the demon?”

This Daoist master truly had none of a cultivator’s cultivation! Before, he said she brought bad luck to the family, and now he dared to say such things!

She also didn’t know why those soldiers had come to arrest him! Her father was even letting him hide in their home—what was he trying to do?

Jin Chao thought for a moment, then immediately changed into a lined jacket and went to the outer courtyard.

There were many people in Juliu Pavilion, and soldiers were searching the wing rooms. Gu Dezhao was talking to a man wearing a padded jacket: “You’re being too bold. I am, after all, a fifth-rank official. How dare you break into the Gu household as you please?”

Jin Chao’s footsteps paused. As a woman in mourning, it wasn’t appropriate for her to go over.

The middle-aged man in the padded jacket clasped his hands and said: “My apologies, sir. We are people from the Prince of Yanping’s manor, ordered to arrest Daoist Master Qingxu.”

The Prince of Yanping’s manor? Jin Chao frowned as she heard this from a distance.

The Prince of Yanping was a non-imperial prince enfeoffed by the previous emperor, with considerable power in court. He was a member of the Marquis of Changxing’s faction.

Jin Chao quietly instructed Mama Tong beside her to call Gu Dezhao over. Having their home searched was one thing, but if the Gu family caught the attention of the Prince of Yanping, that would be truly problematic.

Gu Dezhao also saw his eldest daughter approaching.

He hesitated for a moment before walking over. He said in a low voice: “…Chao’er, it’s too chaotic here. You should go back first.”

Jin Chao knew what he was thinking. Daoist Master Qingxu was, after all, his close friend, and this was happening in the Gu household. If he didn’t protect Daoist Master Qingxu, he wouldn’t feel right in his heart. Moreover, these soldiers had broken in without explaining why they were arresting him.

Jin Chao nodded: “…Father, protecting Daoist Master Qingxu is a small matter, but offending the Prince of Yanping is a big one. Let them search and take the person away. This matter has nothing to do with our Gu family.”

Gu Dezhao was hesitant: “This matter is too complicated to explain in a short time.” He was suspicious—the Prince of Yanping and Daoist Master Qingxu were on good terms, and the Daoist master had even prepared elixirs for his eldest son. Why would the Prince of Yanping have a falling out with the Daoist master? Could someone be impersonating people from the Prince of Yanping’s manor to arrest him?

As he was thinking, he saw Steward Li hurriedly approaching, who said in a low voice: “The heir of the Marquis of Changxing has brought people here… They’ve already passed the screen wall!”

Only then did Gu Dezhao’s expression turn grim. What crime had Daoist Master Qingxu committed that even people from the Marquis of Changxing’s household had committed?

Ye Xian, leading people from the Marquis of Changxing’s household, was still wearing a moon-white robe with black edges, but there was not a trace of a smile on his handsome face. As soon as he entered Juliu Pavilion, he slightly nodded, and the well-trained guards behind him immediately dispersed to search.

Gu Dezhao hurried over, clasped his hands, and said: “To think that the heir himself has come. What crime has Daoist Master Qingxu committed… Why have you brought people to arrest him?”

Ye Xian glanced at him and said: “This matter has nothing to do with the Gu family. Master Gu would do best not to get involved.” Seeing Jin Chao standing in the distance, he thought for a moment before saying in a low voice, “The eldest son of the Prince of Yanping has passed away. They found arsenic in Qingxu’s elixir. This is a significant matter. Master Gu should not say anything. I will negotiate with the Prince of Yanping.”

Gu Dezhao was shocked—so it was a problem with the elixir… Qingxu had put arsenic in the elixir? How could that be possible?

Gu Dezhao said in disbelief: “Arsenic is a deadly poison. Daoist Master Qingxu’s actions are truly conspicuous. Why would he want to poison the prince’s eldest son?”

Ye Xian smiled and said, “Doesn’t Master Gu know? Consuming small amounts of arsenic can make one’s complexion rosy, but long-term use is fatal.”

The people he brought quickly found Daoist Master Qingxu, twisting his arms and forcing him out. Daoist Master Qingxu’s topknot and Daoist robe were in disarray, and he was shouting: “Who are you, people! How dare you arrest me!”